Must Love The Races
by GingersKitty08
Summary: Racetrack goes to the Sheepshead races, hears a "hot tip" that actually gets him a bit of money. The girl that accidentally gave it to him? Tracker, one of Spot's best girl newsies.
1. And I'm Off To The Races Again

"C'mon, Dancah." Race whispered to himself, "C'mon, I gat a whole tree dallahs an yah."

Race was determined. He believed anything he heard about the horses at the Sheepshead Races. It had been this newest "hot tip" that he really believed. A horse called Dancer, a newbie to the track, was supposed to have won a really big race down south.

"C'mon yah damn horse." he thought, "I paid me tree dallahs bettin' on yah. Yah bettah win dis race."

Dancer came close to winning, but not close enough to get Race too much money. But he was happy anyway. This was a bigger win for him. He had actually got a bit of a good tip.

"Yes!" he heard someone (me) behind him yell. "Patches won, again."

So, Patches is the one to bet on next time. Thanks, anonymous better.  
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"It was absolutely amazin', Jack." Race said, walking into the bunk room.

"Yeah yeah, Race, yah told all a us at least, what, five times taday." Jack said, "Ya got a pretty good tip. Nice fah ya."

"T'anks, Jack." Race said, "Oh, 'ey, Blink. I gat somethin' tah tell ya!"

Race was very excited about this new tip that he had gotten. The only friend he told the really good tips to was Kid Blink. They were, as far as best friends go in the newsie world, the best of friends.

"Blink." he said, finally getting Blink to sit down, "I hoid a great thing taday."

"What's dat, Race?" Blink asked.

"I hoid dis goil a few seats bahind me say dat Patches is da horse dats been winnin' da races lately." he said, "I'm bettin' on 'im next time. Whaddaya think?"

"If ya think ya gonna win, put a dallah in fah me." Blink said, "I'm pretty sure dis one's gonna pull tru fah ya."  
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Race bet on Patches the next week and, lo and behold, Race's bet pulled through for him. He won.

"Yes!" the voice yelled, "Patches again!"

He turned to see a girl (me), about his age, dressed in newsie garb, holding her ticket looking very excited.

"Hey!" Race yelled, "C'mere!"

"Yeah?" I said, walking up to him, "Whaddaya want?"

"I hoid ya last week, yellin' about dis Patches." he said, "Bet on 'im meself."

"An', lemme guess, ya won?" I asked.

"Ya bettah bahlieve it." he said, puffing out his chest, "So, what's ya name?"

"Trackah," I said, "An' yaself?"

"Racetrack." he replied, "Racetrack Higgins. Where ya from?"

"I'm one a Spot's newsies." I said.

"Ya from Brooklyn?" he asked, in disbelief.

"Isn't dat what I just said?" I asked, "I think it was. Ya okay, Racetrack?"

He looked a bit dazed. "Yeah." he said, "I'se fine."

"Okay den." I said, still a bit worried about him, "I'll see ya around den?"

"Shoah." he said, "Ya wanna meet up at Tibby's sometime?"

"Shoah." I said, "Dat'd be great. How 'bout dis Friday?"

"'Bout 6 okay wid ya?" he asked.

"Shoah." I replied, "So, I'll see ya at Tibby's den."


	2. Matchmaker Matchmaker, Make Me A Match

"Blink, ya nevah gonna bahlieve dis!" Race yelled as he ran into the lodging house, "I met da poisen bettin' on Patches."

"How excitin'." Blink said, "Any othah intaresin' infamation about dis poisen?"

"Yeah." he replied, "It's one a Spot's goil newsies. 'Er name's Trackah."

Blink looked like he wasn't as excited as he should be for his best friend.

"An' I asked 'er tah meet me at Tibby's dis Friday night fah dinnah." Race said, "Isn't dat kinda excitin'?"

"Race, ya gat a date." Blink said, "Dat's great fah ya. But I kinda jus' lost one."

Race turned sympathetic. "Jules dumped ya?"

"Yeah." Blink said, "She's started goin' wid dat guy from Queens."

"I'm sahry." Race said, "Ya wanna go up tah Brooklyn an' play some pokah wid da guys?"

"Shoah." he said, "Maybe dat'll get my mind offa 'er."  
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When the guys got to Brooklyn, who should Race see but Tracker, and Blink -- Julia.

"Aww, damn." Blink said, "What's she doin' heah?"

"Dat's exactly what I was thinkin'." Race said.

"Why couldn't she jus' stay up in Queens wid ol' what's 'is face."

"Whaddaya tawkin' about?" Race said, "Oh. Jules is heah. Why don' we jus' go back an' fahget we evah came, huh."

"Fine wid me." Blink said, "Let's go."

As they turned to leave, Tracker caught sight of Racetrack. "Hey, Race!" she yelled, running to catch up with him, "Whaddaya doin' heah?"

"Leavin'." Blink said, sounding depressed.

"Ah, Tracks, dis is my friend, Kid Blink." Race said, "Most people calls 'im Blink, doh."

"Nice tah meetcha, Blink." I said, shaking his hand, "Wha's wrong?"

" 'e jus' saw 'is ol' goil." Race whispered, "She kinda broke 'is 'eart dis mornin'."

"Blink." I said, looking over at him, "If ya want, ya can come in, an' I'll act like ya new goil."

"No t'anks." Blink said, "I'll jus' get back to da lodgin' house. It was nice meetin' ya, Tracks."

"Ya nat goin' no-wheah." I said, grabbing his hand, "Jus' do what I do. Pretend ya don' care."

"Okay." he said, "But I'm not pretendin' ya my goil."

"Fine den." I said, pretending to be upset, quickly, I mentioned my friend, Dinah, "She'd love tah meetcha."

I took the guys upstairs to the poker game, but didn't let them get started until I had introduced Blink to Dinah.

"Dinah, dis is Kid Blink." I said, "Most people calls 'im Blink. 'e's one a da Manhattan newsies."

They hit it off right away. They started talking about the papers, and how hard it was to lie about headlines. They had so much in common.

Next thing I knew, Race was pointing towards the darkest corner of the room. Dinah and Blink were sitting on one of the bunks kissing.

"Looks like ya gat a bit a luck in da matchmakin' business." Race said, "Ya gat anyone lookin' fah a sweet Italian who loves da races?"

"Can I meet 'im foist?" I asked, laughing at the expression on his face after I asked, "I'm kiddin' Race. My gahd. Ya thought I was serious?"

"Nah." he said, "I'se jus' a real good actah."


	3. A Love There Is No Cure For

"Dat was a lotta fun." Blink said, "Can we do dis again sometime?"

"Shoah." Race said, "Can we, Tracks?"

I laughed at his sweet puppy dog face, "Shoah." I said, "Ya can come any time."

"T'anks fah gettin' Blink dat goil." Race said, "E's alot happiah now."

"Well, dat's what I do." I said, sighing, "I match people up. Of course, I can nevah do dat fah meself."

"Well, why not?" Race asked, "Ya seem tah do well wid othah people's love lives, why not ya own?"

"It's not dat simple, Race." I said, "It's just... nothin'. Nevahmind."

Race looked at me with a face that I just couldn't resist telling everything to.

"I ran away from home when I was a little goil." I began, "I was just 9 at da time. I was raped. I don' feel dat I desoive love anymoah."

Race hugged me, which was a little weird. Well, alot was weird about him. I felt comfortable enough around him to tell him my deepest secret, AND I was hugging him. I had only known him for ONE day.

"Ya desoive love moah den mos' people I know." Race said, "If anythin', ya desoive da love a some guy dat can provide ya wid everythin'."

I laughed, "What guy in my kind a lifestyle can affoid tah provide me wid everythin'?"

"Dat's not what I meant." Race said, "Ya desoive one a dem guys ya see walkin' around in dem suits goin' to deir big-time jobs."

"No, I really don'." I said, "I'm a runaway. What kinda guy would want me, not knowin' my background?"

"Well, I know I do." he said. He blushed and turned around after saying that.

"I know ya were jus' bein' nice, Race." I said, "Ya've only known me fah a day. Ya can't t'ink ya love me yet."

"Ya shoah about dat?" he said, turning to look at me with his big brown eyes. "I'se pretty shoah I love ya. I've only known ya fah a day, and I'm sayin' dis. I t'ink I am."

I blushed and told him goodbye.

"Don' say goodbye, Tracks." he said, "It means fahevah. Jus' say goodnight."

"Fine den, Race." I said, "Goodnight. See yah at Tibby's on Friday."


End file.
